MACBETH ESSAY ENGLISH 112B
Select two possible essay questions listed below. During our study of the play, you will be
expected to gather evidence to support your thoughts on the chosen topics. This written
assignment will be assessed using the Universal Writing Rubric. It will also be typed, double
spaced using size 12 Times New Roman and will follow MLA formatting as outlined on the
Owl Purdue site. The tentative due date is March 27, 2015.
1. "The tragedy of Macbeth is not to be found in his death; rather it is evident in his mental
suffering, moral weakening, and defeated purpose."
Samuel Thurber, "Notes on Macbeth"
Cite evidence from the play to support this statement, referring to the theme of ambition.
2. Choose the motif of blood and discuss how it underscores one of our chosen themes, referring
to examples found in the play Macbeth.
3. Examine how Shakespeare uses literary elements such as imagery, symbols, or figurative
language to illustrate one of our focus themes.
4. Trace the characterization of Macbeth from the beginning of the play (military victory) to the
end (defeat, degradation, death). Examine the progression of his internal conflicts and external
actions as he develops from each stage to the next. Consider, also, the reader’s/audience’s
degree of sympathy for Macbeth, showing how it changes in response to his moral
deterioration.
5. Evaluate Lady Macbeth’s character, weighing her strengths and weaknesses. Consider her
motivation, courage, and punishment. Examine her sleep walking scene and the motif of hands
as the realization of a side of Lady Macbeth’s personality briefly hinted at earlier, and evaluate
her earlier actions and speeches with a view to her total character. Be sure to cite specific
passages demonstrating how Shakespeare leads his audience to respond to Lady Macbeth’s
character.
6. What is the play’s perspective on gender? How is manhood defined, and is womanhood or
femininity defined in the same way that masculinity is?
7. What is the play’s attitude toward the murder of King Duncan? Toward the murder of
Macbeth? How does the motif of time play into this?
8. Examine the theme of equivocation in Macbeth. How does the characters’ language in the play
enhance this theme, and how does equivocation/versions of reality relate to the plot of the
play? Refer to the motif of the supernatural and/or hallucinations in your essay as you discuss
this theme.
MACBETH ESSAY ENGLISH 112B